The School of Kinesiology was initially named the Bachelor of Physical Education Program. The program has also been titled the School of Physical Education, the School of Physical Education and Recreation, and then the School of Human Kinetics. The first physical education courses were offered in 1946 after the appointment of Robert Osborne (who directed the program until 1972) in 1945. The Bachelor of Physical Education Program ran until 1952, when the program was formed into the School of Physical Education in the Faculty of Arts and Science. In 1960 recreation education was added to the name, though Bachelor of Recreation Education was only conferred starting in 1969. In 1958 a master's program was added to the School of Physical Education. In 1963 the School moved to the Faculty of Education. When Robert Osborne retired in 1978, he was replaced by Robert Morford. At the same time, the School began to align with the more significant University's goals of implementing more academically centred programs. There was a new emphasis on science relating to physical activity, and the Schools laboratories began to develop and grow. In 1979, a Sports Medicine Clinic opened in the Schools John Owen Pavilion on the south campus with specific faculty of this clinic also being associated with the School in teaching and research. In 1992 the School was renamed the School of Human Kinetics, and The Bachelor of Recreation Education was phased out in 1995. In 2011 it was renamed the School of Kinesiology.
The School of Kinesiology's mission is to generate, advance, and disseminate knowledge about human movements and enhance all populations' health and quality of life across diverse settings. Their specific goals are to advance understanding about a) the factors underlying human physical performance, (b) the nature of the human quest for excellence in competitive and expressive forms of human movement, and (c) the role of sport, leisure and exercise in society from both a contemporary and a historical perspective. In addition, to teach students about physical activity in general and about sport, exercise and leisure in particular; to prepare educated professionals to serve the present and future needs of society in a variety of professional settings related to vibrant health, leisure, sport and physical education fields; and facilitate the application of pertinent knowledge to professional and lay agencies concerned with the promotion of recreation, physical education, sport, fitness and active health at local, provincial and national, and international levels.